Rosario-Inseln: Tagesausflug ab Cartagena

My expectation was that we were going to be on a decent sized beach. In actuality we were taken to a small resort where they beach area was roped off and extremely small. Some of the people on our tour did not have even get chairs to sit on. I feel sorry for the guests that were staying in this small resort as we took up their entire beach area. I was very disappointed when we arrived at the destination. The only plus was the boat ride.

We were picked up at our hotel and dropped off at the port. There is a fee there that has to be paid in cash. To get to the islands you travel on a speed boat that holds 20-40 people and cruise through the harbour and out into the Caribbean. If you get seasick, this is NOT the trip for you as the boat leaps the waves and smacks down on the other side. If you love boats, the trip is exhilarating and lasts about an hour. You do get to go by some massive ships as Cartegena is a busy port. The island itself is beautiful and the water a gorgeous turquoise. The group is dropped off on the wharf encompassing a small beach and the property behind it. The guide goes over the schedule for the day then you are free to grab a lounger, go into the water off the beach area or go down a ladder into the water off the wharf on the outside of the enclosed area. Water shoes are recommended as the beach is stoney with vegetation in the water. The water itself is beautiful warm and clear. While there a few trips are offered to the local aquarium, to go snorkeling or to go scuba diving, we didn't go on any of them. All trips are cash only. You could also have a more professional massage there. There is also a nice clean salt-water pool to swim in. Because this is an island, fresh water is only rain water so there are no showers to rinse the salty water off. Lunch was a delicious grilled fish, salad, two types of rice, yucca fries and tasty home made coconut candy. They offer an assortment of alcoholic beverages, the only thing you can purchase with a credit card if you exceed 30,000 COP which isn't hard as the drinks are expensive. The trip back to port took a different route, going along a man-made river past small houses in the middle of nowhere and brought you into the harbour from a different angle. The tour people were fantastic as usual: friendly, enthusiastic and could answer any questions. They also ensured we got back on the right vehicle to be driven back to our hotel. We enjoyed the tour though we thought the beach limited and added extras expensive.